Tips to avoid candlelight processional?

[marikoj]

We'll be in the parks Dec 2-5 and I've heard rumors that the candlelight processional will be happening on Saturday the 5th. While it would be a cool thing to see, it isn't worth the waiting around for us to see who the celebrity reader will be. So my question, what are your tips to avoid the congregating crowds? We'll have hoppers so can spend the afternoon in DCA if that's better, or can we just stay in the back of the park? What time should we avoid going through the front of DL? How early do the set up and bottle necks start? Thanks!

 

[Malcon10t]

Candlelight will be Saturday the 4th and Sunday the 5th. Expect the front of the park (Emporium to front gate) to be exceptionally busy from 4p-9p. Either stay in the other areas, or park hop. Just don't expect it to be an easy walk thru the front.

 

[ishbit92]

Candlelight will be Saturday the 4th and Sunday the 5th. Expect the front of the park (Emporium to front gate) to be exceptionally busy from 4p-9p. Either stay in the other areas, or park hop. Just don't expect it to be an easy walk thru the front.

Hmm good to know this thank you. I will be there on the 5th and we have a Blue Bayou reservation around 5ish I'm thinking we better stick around in Disneyland after or if we decide to park hop to DCA it's just good to be aware that it might be terribly congested to get out. But now I'm thinking we better be sure to arrive in DL earlier than planned for our dinner reservation in case it's super crowded to get in.

 

[SeaDis]

This is an amazing timeline/report and @mre200200 has done similar reports in previous years if you want to dig deeper. Yes, stay in the back/sides of DL if you want to avoid the crowd. You can see the choir processional from the hub without getting too tangled up in crowds, if wanted. And you can exit the Park in "the herd" during the performance if you want to just catch a glimpse of it.

Depending on your hotel and/or dinner plans, you can take the monorail (if running) in/out of the Park to avoid Town Square.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/2019-candlelight-processional-with-lin-manuel-miranda-photos-and-video-sunday-5-30-showing.3782645/

 

[fsjking]

We went a few years ago on a processional night. We were actually in DCA and park hopped over about the time the crowds were getting bad. They had the bypass opened and we just went through that and had no problems. Wasn't a big deal at all.

 

[Malcon10t]

Hmm good to know this thank you. I will be there on the 5th and we have a Blue Bayou reservation around 5ish I'm thinking we better stick around in Disneyland after or if we decide to park hop to DCA it's just good to be aware that it might be terribly congested to get out. But now I'm thinking we better be sure to arrive in DL earlier than planned for our dinner reservation in case it's super crowded to get in.

One thing to note, keep an eye on the parade times. The parade that goes off around 3 that day, note that they USUALLY stop admitting people into the park briefly while the parade goes to avoid even MORE congestion in the area. So there may be a 20 min hold time at the gates around this time to factor in your decision.

 

[marikoj]

Oh, I love the reminder to use the monorail to get back. Or leave DCA, do some shopping in DTD and then monorail in. Thank you!

 

[Jaina]

But if you DO need to cross through, try to do it while the music is actually happening. The celebrity reader is always cool, but it's an experience to see/hear a choir of that caliber perform right there in town square. I was there in 2019 and it is a memory I cherish, even though I spent most of the day doing non-Candlelight things.

 

[Geemo]

We were eating dinner on the covered porch of the Plaza Inn one night when the choir came out from the eastside back stage bi-pass to make their way down main st. It was a surprise for sure. But such a nice one.

One thing we noticed that morning when entering the park, people rushed to the benches and staked out their spot for the evening event. They placed jackets and blankets on whole benches with one person sitting there for the day.

We didn't feel it really made any difference in the crowd for the day.

 

[GrizzlyGirl]

How long does it last?

 

[Jaina]

30-45 minutes, performed twice at (totally guessing here 6 and 9? Moving through the area was slow between 5 and 10 I think.

 

[pharmama]

I think the times are 5:30 and 7:45pm. I did standby viewing for the 7:45pm performance in 2018 and the video I have of the end is a few minutes past 8:30.

I know OP is asking about avoiding the area but I'll just throw out there that I went on a bit of whim in 2018 as I was in the area for a conference and was an AP holder. I was blown away. The choir and whole experience were amazing. I waited about 2hrs on main street and got to listen to most of the first performance while waiting (You can't see anything while waiting. I was in a holding/queuing area outside Market House. You could hear the choir/songs but not the narrator). Afterwards I was pretty easily able to make my way over to a surprisingly decent spot on the left side of the hub for fireworks (I have castle pictures starting around 9:10pm). I was solo, which probably helped, but it was still one of my most magical Disney holiday visits.

I am going to be there for CP weekend this year with DD16 and DD10 and am undecided yet if we will try to catch the second performance again or avoid the area...

 

[Wesley815]

Honestly I've had no issues avoiding it when visiting park. As others mentioned, it mainly focuses on Town Square/train station end of Main St. Couple interesting articles about history of the show:

https://d23.com/disneys-candlelight-processional-through-the-years/

https://dapsmagic.com/2017/12/the-history-of-the-candlelight-ceremony-at-disneyland/

• Dennis Morgan (1961-1964)
• Dick Van Dyke(1965) (Walt’s last Candlelight ceremony)
• Dennis Morgan (1966)
• Gregory Peck & Dean Jones (1967)
• Henry Fonda & Rock Hudson(1968)
• Gary Grant (1969)
• Charlton Heston & Dean Jones (1970)
• John Wayne (1971)
• Rock Hudson (1972)
• Cary Grant (1973-1974)
• Jimmy Stewart (1975)
• Rock Hudson (1976)
• Buddy Ebsen & Ed Asner(1977)
• Cary Grant (1978)
• Elliot Gould & Joseph Cotton (1979)
• Michael Landon (1980)
• Ed Asner & Jason Robards(1981)
• Pat and Shirley Boone (1982)
• Darren McGavin (1983)
• Joseph Campanella (1984)
• Kevin Dobson (1985)
• Craig T. Nelson & Elliot Gould (1986)
• Howard Keel (1987):
• Joseph Campanella (1988)
• John Forsythe (1989)
• James Earl Jones (1990)
• Robert Urich (1991)
• George Kennedy (1992)
• Michael York (1993)
• Peter Graves (1994)
• David Ogden Stiers (1995)
• Mary Hart (1996)
• Joseph Campanella (1997)
• Richard Crenna & Edward James Olmos (1998)
• Olympia Dukakis (1999)
• John Tesh & Barry Bostwick (2000)
• David Ogden Stiers (2001)
• Mickey Rooney & Stephen Collins (2002)
• Louis Gossett, Jr. & Marie Osmond (2003)
• Marie Osmond (2004)
• Dick Van Dyke (2005)
• Andy Garcia & Hector Elizondo (2006)
• Jane Seymour (2007)
• John Stamos (2008)
• Jon Voight (2009)
• Tom Skerritt (2010)
• Gary Sinise (2011):
• Dec. 1-2, 2012: Dennis Haysbert
• Dec. 3-5, 2012: Kurt Russell
• Dec. 6-8, 2012: Edward James Olmos
• Dec. 9-11, 2012: Lou Diamond Phillips
• Dec. 12-13, 2012: Dick Van Dyke
• Dec. 14, 2012: Dennis Haysbert
• Dec. 15-16, 2012: Patricia Heaton
• Dec. 17-19, 2012: Molly Ringwald
• Dec. 20, 2012: John Stamos
• Kurt Russell & Blair Underwood (2013)
• Beau Bridges (2014)
• Geena Davis & Lana Parilla (2015)
• Gennifer Goodwin (2016)
• Chris Hemsworth (2017)
• Chris Pratt (2018)
• Lin-Manuel Miranda (2019)